Method of inlaying blanks for flat-metal tableware.



PATENTED MAR. 29, 1904.

I 77. A. WARNER. METHOD OF INLAYING BLANKS FOR FLAT META-L TABLEWARE.

uruouipn EILED JAN. 18, 1904.

I0 imnEL.

.ififi x/fi ///////////////////////////////////////vvvvvv////////////II// //Z WITNESSES. 7 .UQ"

Patented March 29, 1904.

PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. WARNER, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE HOLMESAND EDWARDS SILVER COMPANY, OF BRIDGEPORT, CON- NECTICUT, A CORPORATIONOF CONNECTICUT.

METHOD OF INLAYING BLANKS FOR FLAT-METAL TABLEWARE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.

755,727, dated March 29,1904.

Application filed January 18, 1904. Serial No. 189,394. (No model.)

To ctZZ whom it ntay concern.-

Be it known that I, WILLIAM A. WARNER, a citizen of the United States,residing at Bridgeport, county of Fairfield, State of Connecticut, haveinvented a new and useful Method of Inlaying Blanks for Flat-MetalTableware, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to the manufacture of flat-metal tableware forexample, spoons, forks, and similar articles-having one or moreprecious-metal or alloy fillings at the point or points of wear andcontact of the spoon'or other article in use; and my invention has forits object to produce a method of manufacturing inlaid fiat metaltableware which shall produce the desired result in the simplest,cheapest, and most expeditious manner possible and with the leastpossible waste of the precious metal used for the inlaying, thuseffecting a saving not only in the cost of material used, but greatlyreducing the cost of manufacture by simplifying the method or process ofcombining the precious-metal inlay with the base metal of the'blank andby reducing the number of operations required to produce the blank, thepresent method being an improvement on the method disclosed in myexpired patent, N 0. 337,099, dated March 2, 1886. 7

With these and other objects in view my invention consists in certainimprovements in the method of making blanks for flat tableware, which Iwill now describe, referring to the accompanying drawings,forming a partof this specification, and using reference characters to indicate theseveral parts.

Figure 1 is an elevation ofithe back of a blank; in the present instancea spoon-blank, showing the recess in the back of the handle with thepiece of, precious metal or alloy which forms the inlay lying thereinand also showing the end walls or gates which retain the precious metalin the recess after it has been fused; Fig. 2, a longitudinal section onthe claim line 2 2 in Fig. 1; and Fig. 3 is a transverse section, on anenlarged scale, on the line 3 3 in Fig. 1.

1O denotes the handle of a blank, which is the only portion of the blankaffected by the present invention; 11, the recess to receive the pieceof precious metal or alloy to form the inlay; which forms the inlay, atthe ends of the recess by which the precious metal is retained in therecess and prevented from running out after it has been fused. Thespecial mode of forming the recess and the walls or gates is not of theessence of the invention. The recess and walls or gates may be formed inany ordinary or preferred manner, as by the use of a mill slightlynarrower and 13 walls or gates than the blank and which is caused to actcentrally on the blank, grinding out the recess and leaving end walls orgates just as light and thin as possible, but amply suflicient to retainthe molten metal in the recess.

Having formed the recess in the blank and provided the walls or gates atthe ends of the recess, a suitable flux is placed therein and a piece ofprecious metal or alloy sufiicient to form the inlay. The blank, withthe piece of metal lying in the recess, is then subjected to the actionof heat and the precious metal is fused and caused to unite with thebase metal of the blank. The blank is then subjected to the action ofdies which impart form to the article and also break away the end wallsor gates of the recess, so that the thin strips of base metal comprisingthese walls are detached from the blank and'form no part of the finishedarticle. Having completed the inlaying of the blanks, the operations ofplating and finishing may be completed in the ordinary or in anypreferred manner.

Having thus described my invention, 1

The herein-described method of inlaying blanks for flat-metal tablewarewhich consists 12, the piece of precious metal in forming a recess inthe blank to receive the In testimony whereof I affix my signature inprecious metal leaving slight retaining-Walls presence of two witnesses.at the ends of the recess, then fusing a piece of precious metal in therecess and then sub- 5 jecting the blank to the action of dies, Where-Witnesses:

by form is imparted to the blank and the re- T. B. LASHAR, taming-Wallsare broken away. H. S. BIGLEY.

WILLIAM A. WARNER.

